2018

Whereas, The Curriculum Streamlining Processes,[1] announced in October 2016, to allow colleges to approve and offer curriculum more rapidly now permits colleges to selfcertify curriculum for all credit courses, modified credit programs with the exception of associate degrees for transfer, and new credit programs with a goal of local program with the exception of new career technical education credit programs and apprenticeship;[2]

Whereas, The Student Centered Funding Formula that was enacted by the governor’s 2018-19 Budget Trailer Bill on June 27, 2018[1] provides monetary incentives for college districts to award the associate degree for transfer over a local associate degree, and when possible multiple degrees or certificates to a single student;

Whereas, The default placement rules in the AB 705 Implementation Memo, July 10, 2018[1]are based primarily on high school grade point average, and AB 705 (Irwin, 2017) and Title 5 §55502(i)[2] require colleges to use multiple measures for student assessment and placement;

Whereas, AB 705 (Irwin, 2017) and subsequent Title 5 regulations’ revisions will require changes within areas that fall under academic and professional matters, and such changes should be made in collegial consultation with local academic senates; and

Whereas, The principle of participatory governance in the California Community Colleges has long been established in practice and codified in law (California Education Code §70901 et seq.) which provides the framework whereby California’s community colleges actively practice and teach democracy;

Whereas, The 2018 California Budget Trailer Bill created the California Online Community College and named the California Community Colleges Board of Governors as the governing board for this new entity;

Whereas, Title 5 §§51025 and 53311 establish the full-time faculty obligation for each California community college, commonly known as the Faculty Obligation Number or FON, and colleges are penalized for failure to meet this obligation;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges’ paper Budget Considerations – A Primer for Senate Leaders (2009)¹⁶ built upon the previous paper The Faculty R[1]ole in Planning and Budgeting (2001)[2] by providing guidance to local senate leaders monitoring and assessing specific types of budget information;

Whereas, AB 705 (Irwin, 2017) language indicates that compensation for costs incurred by this statutory provision must be reimbursed to the community college districts,[1] and  the California Legislature was incorrectly informed that AB 705 (Irwin, 2017) would be a zero sum statute wherein savings from reducing basic skills courses would equally translate into funds appropriated for the necessary expenses for increase in transfer level courses in mathematics and English;

Whereas, The Student Centered Funding Formula determines budget allocations based on student populations and completion, and the California Community Colleges system metrics play a key role in providing colleges data regarding student success;

Whereas, The metrics and cohort definitions are currently lacking in accurate data elements, resulting in rates that are not representative of the correct coursework or student populations in many cases;[1] 

Whereas, The Articulation System Stimulating Interinstitutional Student Transfer (ASSIST) is the official repository of transfer and articulation agreements between California’s public colleges and universities and supports a comprehensive statewide advising and information system “to facilitate the transfer of California Community College students to either the California State University or University of California systems by providing accurate articulation information”;[1]